Safety derailing device.



.|. W. STRAUGHAN.

SAFETY DERAILING DEVICE. APPLICATION mm 115025. 191e.

'1 ,246,486. Patented Nov. 13, 1917. E w Q\\\ Q 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses" Ac'comeys nventor J. W. STRAUGHAN.

SAFETY DERAILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.26. 191s.

1,246,486. Patented N0v.13,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wltnesses .Inventor Attorneys JOHN W. STRAUGI'IAN, OF PRATT, WEST VIRGINIA.

SAFETY DERAILING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed. December 26, 1916. Serial No. 138,838.

T all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN W. STRAUGHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pratt, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Safety Derailing Device, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to derailing devices, and aims to provide a novel and improved device of that character for use upon railroad inclines, forV derailing a run way or uncontrolled car descending the incline, whereby to avoid a wreck at the base or lower end of the incline.

.9 Another object of the invention is to provide a derailino device embodying a novel assemblage of tie component elements, and

novel means for mounting and operating the derailing points or tongues.

c A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel derailing device for a double track, whereby cars on both tracks can be derailed in case of emergency or danger.

s It is also the object of the invention to provide a construction of the nature indicated which is comparatively simple and inexpensive, as well as practical and eflicient.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that 5 changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism, portions being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mecha- 5 nism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a double track, although it is to be understood that the same can be used on a single track, as will be apparent. The two tracks are designated 1, and their remote rails are designated by the numerals 2.

In carrying out the invention, the rails are cut away or separated at a suitable point of the incline, and elongated longitudinal tie plates are fastened on the cross ties a by means of spikes or otherwise, the ends of the rails 2 seating upon the ends of the plates 3. Secured by means of spikes or otherwise upon each plate 3 is a pair of longitudinal alining rail sections 5 and 6 abutting the ends of the respective rails 2 and having their adjacent ends spaced apart. The rail sections 5 are farthest up the inoline, and their lower ends are bent outwardly, as at 5, at an obtuse angle. A derailing point or tongue 7 having the cross section of a rail, is seated for transverse sliding movement upon each plate 3 between the rail sections 5 and 6, the upper free end of the tongue 7 being cut obliquely to it the end portion 5 of the rail 5 by an outward movement when the tongue 7 alines with the sections 5 and 6. The lower end of the tongue 7 is hinged to the upper end of the rail section 6, and for this purpose the web of the tongue 7 has an aperture or opening 8 adjacent to the lower butt end of the tongue 7 through which the intermediate portion or bend of a U-shaped hinge strap 9 v is engaged, the terminals of said strap overlapping and being secured to the web of the rail section 6, whereby to hold the tongue 7 in abutment with the upper end ofthe section 6 andl enable the tongue 7 to swing transversely. It is evident that when the tongues 7 are swung outwardly against the end portions 5 of the rail sections 5, the cars can travel up and down the tracks in the usual way, the cars being connected by a cable or flexible element whereby when one of them is ascending the incline, the other isy descending. Should this cable break, or the cars get beyond control, the attendant can swing the tongues 7 inwardly, which will derail the cars and prevent them :from injuring the Station or other structure .at the foot of the incline, thereby avoiding the unnecessary destruction of property.

The operating means for the tongues 7 embodies a longitudinal lever 11 ulcrumed between its ends upon a cross piece 12 secured to two cross ties 4, and links having their adjacent ends pivoted to the opposite arms of the lever 11, whereby the links are operated simultaneously in opposite directions. The remote ends of said links are bifurcated and have the upper prongs 13 overlapping the plates 3 and pivoted, as at 14, to the base anges of the tongues 7, and also have the lower prongs 15 underlying the plates 3 to guide the links 10 and tongues 7 for proper movement, and to prevent said tongues from jumping or beingv raised olf of the plates 3.

An arched segment 16 has its ends secured upon two cross ties 4f at the outer side of one track, and carries a cross bar 17 to which an upwardly projecting hand lever 18 is fulcrumed. One end of the segment 16 has ratchet teeth 19 for the engagement of t-he hand lever 18, said hand lever being resilient so that it can be sprung away from the teeth 19 to move the lever in one direction. YThe lower arm of the lever 18 is connected by a lilik 2O with one arm of a bell crank lever 21 which has its elbow fulcrumed upon one tie and the other arm of the lever 21 is connected by a link 22 with the correspo-nding link 10 between the ends of said link 10. The plates 3 have stops 23 secured thereon for limiting the inward movement of the tongues 7 Yvlhenthe lever 1S is swung upwardly, the link 20 is pushed downwardly, and the bell crank lever 21 transmits an inward movement to the link 22 and coriesponding link 10. Both links 10 are therefore moved inwardly toward one another through the medium of the lever 11, and this pulls the tongues 7 inwardly for vderailing the car or cars. rEhe lever 18 can be sprung away from the notches 19 to enable said lever to be swung upwardly. TWhen the llever is swung downwardly, the link 20 is pulled to turn the lever 2l and pull the link 22 and corresponding vlink 10 outwardly, both links 10 therefore being moved outwardly to return the tongues 7 to normal position. The lever 1S snaps past the teeth 19 and is held thereby against reverse movement, to avoid the inward movement of the tongues 7 unless the lever 18 is forcibly sprung away from the segment,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A derailing device for railroad inclines embodying an inclined plate, upper and lower alining rail sections secured upon said plate and spaced apart, a tongue seated slidably upon said plate between the rail 'sections and having its lower end butting and hinged to the upper end of the lower rail section, the upper free end of the tongue being adapted to fit the lower end of the upper rail section, and means for swinging said tongue embodying a member having a bifurcated end providing upper and lower prongs above and below said plate, the upper prong being pivoted to Said tongue, and the lower prong holding the tongue in place upon the plate.

2. il derailing device for a double track incline embodying a pair of swinging derailing tongues, and operating means connected to said tongues for swinging them simultaneously to normal and derailing positions.

3. A derailing device for a double track incline embodying a pair of swinging derailing tongues, and operating means connected to said tongues for swingingthem simultaneously to normal and derailing positions including a lever, and links connectingsaid lever and tongues.

a. A dei-ailing device for a double track incline embodying a pair of longitudinal plates, upper and lower longitudinal rail sections secured upon each plate, derailing tongues seated movably upon said plates between said rail sections and having their lower ends hinged to the upper endsy of the lower rail sections, the upper ends of the tongues being adapted to yfit the lower ends of the upper rail sections by an outward movement, a lever mounted between said tongues, links connecting said lever and tongues, and operating means for moving said links and lever.

5. A derailing device embodying a pair of derailing tongues mounted for swinging movement, a lever fulcrumed between its ends between said tongues, links connecting the arms of said lever and tongues, a hand lever, a link pivoted to one of the aforesaid links and connected to the hand lever, and means for holding the hand lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. STRAUGHAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

